Chapter 24 Summary

What fueled the prosperity of the 1920s for many middle-class Americans?

Rising incomes, mass production, consumer credit, and technological innovations.

How did Henry Ford revolutionize the automobile industry?

By improving assembly-line efficiency, making cars affordable for the average American.

What new forms of entertainment became popular in the 1920s?

Movies, radio programs, and spectator sports.

What industry grew alongside manufactured goods in the 1920s?

Advertising

What cultural divide became more pronounced during the 1920s?

Between urban modernism and rural traditionalism.

What did the Sacco and Vanzetti and Scopes trials symbolize?

Fears about immigration, radical politics, and the clash between science and religion.

What was the impact of the Nineteenth Amendment on the women’s rights movement?

While it granted women the right to vote, the broader movement lost momentum afterward.

What was the Harlem Renaissance?

A cultural movement in which Black artists, writers, and musicians celebrated African American identity.

How did Marcus Garvey and W. E. B. Du Bois differ in their approaches to Black rights?

Garvey promoted Black nationalism and separation; Du Bois advocated for integration and civil rights.

What was the Lost Generation’s critique of 1920s America?

They exposed the shallowness and materialism of middle-class culture.

What effects did Prohibition have on American society?

It increased illegal alcohol production and contributed to the rise of organized crime.

What slogan captured the public mood after WWI, and who campaigned on it?

“A return to normalcy,” used by Republican Warren G. Harding.

What characterized the Republican leadership of the 1920s?

Pro-business policies, isolationism in foreign affairs, and minimal government regulation.

Who continued Harding’s policies after his death?

Calvin Coolidge.

What event ended the decade of Republican political dominance?

The stock market crash of 1929.